Improvement in washing-machines



2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

.1. ?RATT.

ashing-Wiachines.

Patented Dec. 24,1872.

VV] ESSES 1. W. PRATT.

Washing-Machines.

Patented Dec.24, 1872.

JOSEPH W. PRATT, OF EDGEFIELD, TENNESSEE.

IMPROVEMENT lN WASHINGMACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. RSLLFJMB, datedDecember 24, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. PRATT, of Ed getield, in the countyofDavidson and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and ImprovedApparatus or Machine for Washing Clothes (wool in the iieece) and otherFabries; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, enabling others skilled in the art tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,in Which- Figure 1 represents a vertical section through the line X X;Fig. 2, an end view; Fig. 3 represents a section through the line Z Z,showing also the internally-toothed gear and pinion which would notappear exactly on that line; the face of the driving disk or crank isalso reversed in this figure to show more plainly the operation of frameM, as hereafter described; and Fig. 4 represents a side elevation of theentire machine, with dotted lines to show some of the hidden movements.

Nature cmd Object.

This invention relates to that class of inventions described in patentNo. 130,821, issued to me August 27,1872. These improvements `areintended to adapt it to large laundries as General Description.

A is a lwater-box, sustained by legs B B. (l is a revolving cylinder,situated in said box,l and is provided with a shaft, D, which sup` portssaid cylinder by means of brackets 22 attached tosides of box, as shownin Fig. 1.v Cylinder C receives rotary motion from an internally-toothedgear located at one end thereI of, into which works pinion E, operatedby,y shaft F, which extends through the side of the box above the levelof the Water, and is provided with a pulley, G, which, by means of beltI, receives rotary motion from pulley H attached to' shaft J, as shownin Fig. 4,

which receives rotary motion either from pinion K, into which works thegear-Wheel L attached to shaft T, or from the Wheel Y, which may eitherbe used as a balance or a driving Wheel, being attached to shaft J, towhich is also attached the disk or crank S, with which is connected, bymeans of the rod Q, the frame M, and receives reciprocating motion fromthe rotation thereof, which (reciprocating motion)4 is transmitted tothe frame O, which is connected with M at top by means of hinge N, asshown by dot-ted lines in Fig. 3.

It will also be seen that between frames M and O are located a number ofsprings, R, which have the tendency to force the bottom of said framesapart. This is prevented at the back of frame M by means offriction-wheels 24, and at the front of frame O by means of thewashing-rollers P P coming in contact vwith cylinder U. The bottom offrame O is compelled to vibrate as the said rollers follow the directionof the circle of C according to the distance traveled at each stroke ofthe said frames. U is a pulley situated upon shaft F, and is made torevolve at pleasure (when said shaft is in motion) by a clutchattachment V, shown partially in Figs. 1 and 3, and can be of anysuitable character to carry out the above design, for the purposehereafter described. A similar clutcharran gement, W, is employed inconnection with pulley H upon shaft J, for the purpose of stopping ltherotation of said pulley H when shaft J is in motion, if desired. Inconnection with pulley U, k by means of belt 1, is pulley 2, whichconnects horizontal plane. Said frame 7 is moved byu means of arm 13connected therewith, and shaft 14, to which -is attached arm 15,connected by means of rod 16 with Vthe handle 23, which is locatedwithin reach of the oper-'A ator, who may by this contrivance move theframe backward and forward at pleasure.

2 4 naaste The frame 7 is also provided with rollers 8 and 9, the formerof which is located near roller 5 and the latter at the upper part ofthe frame, and connected by means of endless apron 10, which receivesmotion from the friction caused by the motion of apron 6, upon which itrests, as shown. Apron 10 is used to confine the clothes to apron 6,while in the agitated water, as they pass toward the wrmger.

It will also be seen that 17 is an elastic roller located just aboveroller 4, a-nd that upon each end of the shaft of said roller 17 rests aconnector or fulcrum, 18, upon which act the levers 19, which arepivoted at one end to the brackets 20 20, and are acted on at the otherend by springs located in bracket 21, by means of which roller 17 may beheld with great force against the roller 4, while at the same time it isself-adjusting.

Having now described the construction of my machine, I will proceed witha brief description of its operation.

The shaft J being set in motion, either by shaft T or wheel Y, the frameM is caused to yreciprocate and the cylinder U to revolve in thedirection of the arrow. The reciprocation of M causes thewashing-rollers P P to traverse up and down upon the face of therevolving cylinder, the latter of which moves slow, and the former withgreat rapidity, while they press against each other with great force.Therefore wet clothing or other fabrics have only to be laid upon thesaid cylinder to find their way through a rubbing, rolling, andsqueezing process, and then fall into the water below, with which thebox is provided; from whence they are conveyed, by endless aprons 6 and10, between the rollers 5 and 8, and from thence, by apron 6, throughbetween the rollers 4 and 17; from whence they drop into a basket orother receiver practically cleansed and freed from liquid used in theprocess.

' The above describes the process of running the fabrics directlythrough the machine with every part in motion; though in practice it mayprove more advantageous to stop the motion of one portion and not theother, and vice versa. As, for instance, should the fabrics be very muchsoiled and require a great deal of rubbing to make them clean, it mightbe necessary to throw the pulley H out of gear with shaft J, which maybe accomplished by clutch attachment W7, when the cylinder .C willbecome stationary and the rollers P P would continue to operate upon thefabric. This may be done upon any spot or part of the goodsthat needsextra cleansing. Or it may be necessary to stop the wringing part of theprocess from time to time, which may be accomplished by throwing thepulley U out of gear with shaft F or 'pulley G by means of clutchattachment V;

at the same time the frame 7 and the rollers and aprons connectedtherewith should be thrown back out of the way of cylinder C, which maybe accomplished by means of handle 23 and its connections, as heretoforedescribed. With frame 7 in this position the clothes come back undercylinder C to the operator, and may be passed through as frequently asdesired.

It will be seen that in this machine I employ two washing-rollers, P P,(which may be attached to frame O in any suitable manner,) instead ofone, which is described in my patent No. 130,821; therefore What I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, is

1. The combination of two or more reciprocating revolving rollers withthe cylinder C, as and for the purpose above described.

2. The combination of shaft J with the pulley H, clutch W, and the crankor disk S, substantially as and for the purposes above set forth anddescribed.

3. The combination of cylinder C with shaft D, brackets 22, pinion Ewith the internallytoothed gear, shaft F, pulley G, clutch attachment V,and pulley U, all as arranged and described, for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination ot' frames M and O with the rod Q and crank S, hingeN, spring Pt, friction-wheels 24, and washing-rollers P P, all asarranged and described, for the purpose speeilied.

5. The combination of the rollers 4, 5, 8, 9, and 17 with the endlessaprons 6 and 10, substantially as and for the purposes above described.

6. The frame 7 with arm 13, shaft 14, arm 15, rod 16, and handle 23, allas arranged and described, for the purpose described.

7. The combination of levers 19 with roller 17, fulcrums or connectors18, brackets 20 2O and 21, springs located in bracket 21, all

Vas described, for the purpose set forth.

8. The combination of water-box A with the cylinder (l, shaft D, pinionE, shaft F, pulley Gr, pulley H, belt I, shaft J, pinion K, gearwheel L,frame M, hinge N, frame O, rollers P P, connecting-rod Q. spring R,crank S, shaft T, pulley U, clutch attachments V and W, balance ordriving wheel Y, belt l, pulley 2, rollers 4, 5, 8, 9, and 17, endlessaprons 6 and 19, the frame 7, roller 12, arm 13, shaft 14, arm 15, rod16, handle 23, brackets 22, and friction-wheels 24, the levers 19 withthe brackets 20 and 21, and the fulcrums or connectors 18, and thesprings located in bracket 21, substantially as arranged and describedin the foregoing specification, for the purposes therein named.

JOSEPH W. PRATT.

Witnesses:

JOHN ilionnow, J r., CHARLIE Smrrn.

